Share this with

Jane Lynch is the voice of Sergeant Calhoun in Wreck-It Ralph (Picture: Getty)

Jane Lynch, 52, played Glee’s ball-busting coach Sue Sylvester and is the voice of Sergeant Calhoun in the game-themed animated film Wreck-It Ralph

Why did you want to do the film? I love animation and I did voiceovers for years before I got TV roles. I love that kind of acting. I have an animated TV series coming out called Murder Police – an adult thing about a vice squad. They’re awfully incompetent. I play a woman who has a baby wrapped around her that is never explained.

What’s the appeal of doing voice work? You’re one cog in the wheel of the character – there’s someone drawing you, someone dressing you, so expressing the character through the voice only is a challenge and a lot of fun. I’m so pleased with how the character looks in Wreck-It Ralph – I’ve never looked better. I could identify with her – she’s very driven.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Are you a big gamer? Not at all. I don’t like that kind of thing. I have a daughter who is 11 who plays a lot of games on my phone.

What impact did Glee have on your career? It blew the doors off – not just in my career but in life. I got recognised on the street almost overnight. Most of the fans are kids so you can’t tell them to buzz off. It’s been great. I get to take the teenage children of friends-of-friends on to the set for a visit and they’re so excited. I love doing that – I know how excited I’d have been if I’d been able to get on to the set of Happy Days or The Brady Bunch at that age.

What are the perks of fame? Getting tables at restaurants – although it doesn’t work everywhere. And I get sent a lot of stuff for free. I find that strange, the more successful you become, the more free stuff people want to send you. I spread the wealth – everyone I know has an iPad now.

How long has Glee got left? Don’t they have to graduate at some point? That is a hotly contested topic at Fox. We’re doing two more seasons and then after that – it can go on forever, you just need to keep bringing in interesting, fun kids who will grab the imagination of the viewers and if there’s anyone capable of doing that, it’s executive producer Ryan Murphy.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Who are your favourite fictional villains? I love Patty Hewes, Glenn Close’s character from Damages. I love characters who walk the line – are they really being villainous or are they being genuine in that moment? That’s the kind of villain I like. And Ted Danson in Damages too. I was a big fan of that show, I watched it all the time. I like characters who aren’t all black or white.

The Christopher Guest films Best in Show and A Mighty Wind helped raise your profile – would you like to do more? He’s got a show coming up on HBO that I can’t wait to see. Some of the old gang will be in that so I’m excited that’s coming up. Improv is one of my favourite things to do. At first it’s very scary because you’re jumping into the unknown, the camera rolls and you get used to it and have to have faith in yourself and your partners on screen. It takes a really good editor to put it together too, someone with a good eye who can pick out the moments. It’s a great way to work. It’s a great skill sharpener.

What inspired you to get into acting? I don’t really know, it’s a chicken-and-egg thing, I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to do it. I remember seeing a school play when I was very young, the lights came on and I was transported – I wanted to be up there doing it myself. There was a kid playing a bird in a cage, which really upset me. I remember thinking: ‘Let the bird out, let the bird out.’

Advertisement

Who have you learned the most from working with? Jennifer Coolidge on Best In Show. We had a great back-and-forth relationship. We were both new to this Christopher Guest stuff and both helped each other. I loved her absolute surrender in the way she went to the most extreme character choice every opportunity she had. I worked with Meryl Streep very briefly in Julie And Julia – I really admire large choices that come from a real place. She made these huge choices – vocally, physically, emotionally, and she was present every take. Everything was huge and I learned a lot from her, and also from watching Stanley Tucci, who was being more subtle, I loved watching the two of them work their magic.

What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve been given? My mother told me I should learn to type to have something to fall back on. I ignored her, although for years later felt I should be learning to type just in case. But I didn’t – I still bang away with two fingers. Oh dear, that sounds terrible…

Why did you name your dog after Olivia Newton-John? I’m a big fan of Grease. I had a big crush on both John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John so when I saw they were in a film together I almost imploded. I had such a fan crush on her it would make me cry – then I got to work with her on Glee years later. She was touched I named my dog after her. Working with her was a preposterous dream come true. She’s so nice.